CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court’s rap over the open slaughter of animals on the roadside in the city brought the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to its feet on Friday as it started a crackdown on such illegal shops in public places.
The CMC’s enforcement wing headed by Deputy Commissioner Ajaya Kumar Mohanty raided several roadside meat and poultry shops at Biju Patnaik Chhak, Badambadi, Link Road, Ganesh Ghat and Stadium Road on the day.
“Raids were carried out on 24 meat and one poultry shop functioning on the roadside at different locations. Apart from seizing and destroying 15 to 20 kg of meat, we seized slaughtering equipment and weighing machines from 13 shops. Besides, we also imposed a fine amounting to Rs 9,000 on the meat and poultry shops for violating the norms,” said Mohanty adding, that the raids would continue in the coming days.
The raids came after Mohanty appeared before the high court in person assuring such shops would be closed in the city. Earlier, hearing a PIL, the high court had expressed its displeasure over the open slaughtering of goats and poultry in the city and directed the civic body to move all such shops to slaughterhouses.
The raids, however, evoked mixed reactions from meat vendors and consumers. The meat vendors alleged CMC officials were harassing them. “As per instructions of CMC, I cut meat in the slaughterhouse and sold it at my roadside shop. Even as I showed the officials receipts of the slaughterhouse where I slaughtered a goat, they took all the meat and equipment from my shop,” said a meat vendor.
On the other hand, consumers welcomed the move. “We welcome the order of the high court. But if the vendors slaughter the animals in a slaughterhouse and sell the meat from their shops, how would we be able to know which meat are they selling. How can we be sure that the mutton they are selling is authentic and pure,” questioned some buyers in front of a meat shop.